Mayor of Los Angeles

The mayor of Los Angeles is the head of the executive branch of the government of Los Angeles and the chief executive of Los Angeles. The office is nonpartisan.^[1]

Mayor of the City of Los Angeles
Seal of Los Angeles
Flag of Los Angeles
Incumbent Karen Bass since December 12, 2022
Government of Los Angeles
Style	Her Honor
Residence	Getty House
Term length	Four years (renewable once)
Inaugural holder	Alpheus P. Hodges
Formation	1850
Salary	$269,365
Website	mayor.lacity.gov

List

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office	Length of service	Party affiliation[a]		Election	Previous office
1		Alpheus P. Hodges (1821–1858; aged 37)	July 1, 1850 – May 7, 1851	340 days		Democratic	1850	None
2		Benjamin D. Wilson (1811–1878; aged 66)	May 7, 1851 – May 4, 1852	363 days		Democratic	1851	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1850–1851)
3		John G. Nichols (1812-1898; aged 85)	May 4, 1852 – May 3, 1853	364 days		Democratic	1852	Los Angeles City Recorder (1850–1851)
4		Antonio F. Coronel (1817–1894; aged 76)	May 3, 1853 – May 4, 1854	1 year, 1 day		Democratic	1853	1st Los Angeles County Assessor (1850–1853)
5		Stephen C. Foster (1820–1898; aged 77)	May 4, 1854 – January 13, 1855[b]	254 days		Democratic	1854	Member of the Los Angeles Board of Education (1853–1854)
–		Manuel Requena[b] (1802–1876; aged 74)	January 13, 1855 – January 25, 1855	12 days		Republican		Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1850–1855)
(5)		Stephen C. Foster[c] (1820-1898; aged 77)	January 25, 1855[b] – May 9, 1855	138 days		Democratic	1855 (J)	Mayor of Los Angeles (1854–1855)
6		Thomas Foster (unknown birth or death)	May 9, 1855 – May 7, 1856	364 days		Democratic	1855 (M)	Member of the Board of Education School Commission (1860–1862)
(5)		Stephen C. Foster[c] (1820-1898; aged 77)	May 7, 1856 – September 22, 1856[d]	138 days		Democratic	1856 (M)	Mayor of Los Angeles (1855)
–		Manuel Requena (1802–1876; aged 74)	September 22, 1856 – October 4, 1856	12 days		Republican		Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1856–1867)
(3)		John G. Nichols[c] (1812-1898; aged 85)	October 4, 1856 – May 9, 1859	2 years, 217 days		Democratic	1856 (O) 1857 1858	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1855–1856)
7		Damien Marchesseault (1818–1868; aged 49)	May 9, 1859 – May 9, 1860	1 year		Democratic	1859	None
8		Henry Mellus †[e] (1816–1860; aged 44)	May 9, 1860 – December 26, 1860	231 days		Democratic	1860	None
–		Wallace Woodworth[e] (1832–1882; aged 50)	December 26, 1860 – January 7, 1861	12 days		Democratic		Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1860–1861)
(7)		Damien Marchesseault[c] (1818–1868; aged 49)	January 7, 1861 – May 5, 1865	4 years, 119 days		Democratic	1861 1862 1863 1864	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1860)
9		Jose Mascarel (1816–1899; aged 83)	May 5, 1865 – May 10, 1866	1 year, 5 days		Republican	1865	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1864–1865)
10		Cristobal Aguilar (1816–1886; aged 70)	May 10, 1866 – May 8, 1867[f]	363 days		Democratic	1866	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1861–1862)
(7)		Damien Marchesseault[c] (1818–1868; aged 49)	May 8, 1867 – August 8, 1867[f]	92 days		Democratic	1867	Zanjero of Los Angeles (1866–1867)
(10)		Cristobal Aguilar[c] (1816–1886; aged 70)	August 8, 1867 – December 7, 1868	1 year, 121 days		Democratic		Mayor of Los Angeles (1866–1867)
11		Joel Turner (1820–1888; aged 68)	December 9, 1868 – December 9, 1870	2 years		Democratic	1868 1869	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1862–1864)
(10)		Cristobal Aguilar[c] (1816–1886; aged 70)	December 9, 1870 – December 5, 1872	1 year, 362 days		Democratic	1870 1871	Mayor of Los Angeles (1867–1868)
12		James R. Toberman (1836–1911; aged 75)	December 5, 1872 – December 18, 1874	2 years, 13 days		Democratic	1872 1873	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1870)
13		Prudent Beaudry (1819–1893; aged 74)	December 18, 1874 – December 8, 1876	1 year, 356 days		Democratic	1874 1875	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1871–1874)
14		Frederick A. MacDougall †[g] (1818–1878)	December 8, 1876 – November 16, 1878	1 year, 348 days		Democratic	1876 1877	None
–		Bernard Cohn[g] (1835–1889; aged 53)	November 16, 1878 – November 21, 1878	5 days		Democratic		Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1876–1878)
15			November 21, 1878 – December 5, 1878	14 days
(12)		James R. Toberman[c] (1836–1911; aged 75)	December 5, 1878 – December 9, 1882	4 years, 4 days		Democratic	1878 1879 1880 1881	Mayor of Los Angeles (1872–1874)
16		Cameron E. Thom (1825–1915; aged 89)	December 9, 1882 – December 9, 1884	2 years		Democratic	1882 1883	15th Los Angeles County District Attorney (1877–1879)
17		Edward F. Spence (1832–1892; aged 59)	December 9, 1884 – December 14, 1886	2 years, 5 days		Republican	1884 1885	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1879–1881)
18		William H. Workman (1839–1918; aged 79)	December 14, 1886 – December 10, 1888	1 year, 362 days		Democratic	1886 1887	Member of the Los Angeles Common Council (1878–1880)
19		John Bryson (1852–1915; aged 63)	December 10, 1888 – February 25, 1889[h]	77 days		Democratic	1888	Member of the Board of Police Commissioners (1890–1891)
20		Henry T. Hazard (1844–1921; aged 77)	February 25, 1889 – December 5, 1892[i]	3 years, 291 days		Republican	1889 1890	Member of the Los Angeles Board of Freeholders (1887–1888)
–		William H. Bonsall[i] (1846–1905; aged 59)	December 5, 1892 – December 12, 1892	7 days		Republican		Member of the Los Angeles City Council (1889–1892)
21		Thomas E. Rowan (1842–1901; aged 59)	December 12, 1892 – December 12, 1894	2 years		Democratic	1892	8th Los Angeles City Treasurer (1868–1870)
22		Frank Rader (1848–1897; aged 48)	December 12, 1894 – December 16, 1896	2 years, 4 days		Republican	1894	Member of the Los Angeles Street Commission (1890–1894)
23		Meredith P. Snyder (1859–1937; aged 77)	December 16, 1896 – December 15, 1898	1 year, 364 days		Democratic	1896	Member of the Los Angeles City Council (1894–1896)
24		Frederick Eaton (1856–1934; aged 78)	December 15, 1898 – December 12, 1900	1 year, 362 days		Republican	1898	Los Angeles City Engineer (1889–1890)
(23)		Meredith P. Snyder[c] (1859–1937; aged 77)	December 12, 1900 – December 8, 1904	3 years, 362 days		Democratic	1900 1902	Mayor of Los Angeles (1896–1898)
25		Owen McAleer (1858–1944; aged 86)	December 8, 1904 – December 13, 1906	2 years, 5 days		Republican	1904	Member of the Los Angeles City Council (1902–1904)
26		Arthur C. Harper (1866–1948; aged 82)	December 13, 1906 – March 11, 1909[j]	2 years, 88 days		Democratic	1906	Member of the Los Angeles Charter Revision Committee (1906)
–		Niles Pease (1838–1921; aged 83)	March 11, 1909 – March 15, 1909	4 days		Republican		Member of the Los Angeles City Council (1906–1909)
27		William Stephens[j] (1859–1944; aged 84)	March 15, 1909 – March 26, 1909	11 days		Republican		Member of the Los Angeles Board of Education (1906)
28		George Alexander (1839–1923; aged 83)	March 26, 1909 – July 1, 1913	4 years, 97 days		Republican	1909 (M) 1909 (N) 1911	Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (1901–1909)
29		Henry H. Rose (1856–1923; aged 67)	July 1, 1913 – July 1, 1915	2 years		Independent	1913	Judge of the Los Angeles Police Judges (1905–1913)
30		Charles E. Sebastian (1873–1929; aged 56)	July 1, 1915 – September 2, 1916	1 year, 63 days		Democratic	1915	Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (1911–1915)
–		Martin F. Betkouski (1860–1942; aged 81)	September 2, 1916 – September 5, 1916	3 days		Democratic	Member of the Los Angeles City Council (1909–1917)
31		Frederic T. Woodman (1871–1949; aged 77)	September 5, 1916 – July 1, 1919	2 years, 299 days		Republican	1917	Member of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission (1902–1916)
(23)		Meredith P. Snyder[c] (1859–1937; aged 77)	July 1, 1919 – July 1, 1921	2 years		Democratic	1919	Commissioner of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission (1913–1917)
32		George E. Cryer (1875–1961; aged 86)	July 1, 1921 – July 1, 1929	8 years		Republican	1921 1923 1925	Chief Los Angeles County District Attorney (1915–1919)
33		John C. Porter (1871–1959; aged 88)	July 1, 1929 – July 1, 1933	4 years		Democratic	1929	None
34		Frank L. Shaw (1877–1958; aged 80)	July 1, 1933 – September 26, 1938[k]	5 years, 87 days		Republican	1933 1937	Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (1928–1933)
35		Fletcher Bowron (1887–1968; aged 81)	September 26, 1938 – July 1, 1953	14 years, 278 days		Republican	1938 1941 1945 1949	Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court (1926–1938)
36		Norris Poulson (1895–1982; aged 82)	July 1, 1953 – July 1, 1961	8 years		Republican	1953 1957	U.S. Representative for California (1947–1953)
37		Sam Yorty (1909–1998; aged 88)	July 1, 1961 – July 1, 1973	12 years		Democratic	1961 1965 1969	U.S. Representative for California (1951–1955)
38		Tom Bradley (1917–1998; aged 80)	July 1, 1973 – July 1, 1993	20 years		Democratic	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989	Member of the Los Angeles City Council (1963–1973)
39		Richard Riordan (1930–2023; aged 92)	July 1, 1993 – July 1, 2001	8 years		Republican	1993 1997	Member of the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners (1987–1992)
40		James Hahn (born 1950; age 74)	July 1, 2001 – July 1, 2005	4 years		Democratic	2001	15th Los Angeles City Attorney (1985–2001)
41		Antonio Villaraigosa (born 1953; age 71)	July 1, 2005 – July 1, 2013	8 years		Democratic	2005 2009	Member of the Los Angeles City Council (2003–2005)
42		Eric Garcetti (born 1971; age 53)	July 1, 2013 – December 11, 2022[l]	9 years, 163 days		Democratic	2013 2017	Member of the Los Angeles City Council (2001–2013)
43		Karen Bass (born 1953; age 71)	December 12, 2022 – Incumbent	1 year, 349 days		Democratic	2022	U.S. Representative for California (2011–2022)

Notes

1. In 1909, Los Angeles adopted a nonpartisan form of government, with the office and mayoral elections being officially nonpartisan since then.^[2]
2. Foster resigned as Mayor to help lead a lynch mob against David Brown, a man who had killed one of Foster's friends and was given a stay of execution by the California Supreme Court.^[3] Manuel Requena, the President of the City Council, was the acting mayor in his absence.^[4] Foster was then re-elected via a special election.^[5]
3. The City of Los Angeles counts one mayoralty for those who served multiple non-consecutive terms.
4. Foster resigned as mayor to attend to the executorship of the estate of his brother-in-law.^[6] City Council president Manuel Requena served as acting mayor until a special election could be held.^[7]
5. Mellus died in office on December 26, 1860. City Council president Wallace Woodworth served as acting mayor until a special election could be held.^[8]
6. Aguilar was unseated for three months and replaced with Marchesseault, who as Zanjero of Los Angeles was considered more important than the mayor. Aguilar was reinstated on August 8, 1867.^[9]
7. MacDougall died on November 16, 1878. City Council president Bernard Cohn served as acting mayor until he was appointed by the council to become Mayor.^[10]
8. Due to a change in the city's election calendar, Bryson's term was cut short due to voter's adoption of a new city charter and Hazard's subsequent election.
9. City Council president William H. Bonsall served as acting mayor for a week during the vacancy between the terms of Hazard and Rowan's terms.
10. Harper resigned as Mayor on March 11, 1909 in the wake of a recall election against him.^[11] William Stephens, who was named as Harper's opponent in the recall, was appointed as Mayor before the next election.^[12][13]
11. Recalled from office; first Mayor recalled in Los Angeles history.^[14]
12. Due to a change in the city's election calendar to align mayoral elections with statewide elections, Garcetti's second term was longer than the usual four years.^[15]

References

1. "Los Angeles: structure of a city government" (PDF). League of Women Voters.
2. "LOS ANGELES: STRUCTURE OF A CITY GOVERNMENT" (PDF). League of Women Voters.
3. "The Hidden History of LA: The mayor who helped lynch a man". KPCC.
4. Rasmussen, Cecilia (May 18, 2005). "From the 19th Century, a Look at City's Past Latino Mayors". Los Angeles Times.
5. Spitzzeri, Paul R. (August 8, 2021). "Stephen Clark Foster's Recollections of "Los Angeles on the Eve of the Gold Rush," Part II, in "Touring Topics," August 1929". Homestead Museum.
6. Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials: 1850—1938, Compiled under Direction of Municipal Reference Library City Hall, Los Angeles, March 1938 (Reprinted 1966)
7. "The Four Latino Mayors of Los Angeles". HispanicVista. May 23, 2005. Archived from the original on September 1, 2007.
8. ""Influences That Mastered and Destroyed the Strong Man That Has Just Fallen": The Tragedy of Damien Marchessault, 1818-1868". Homestead Museum. December 13, 2022.
9. Martinez, Yoli (September 24, 2012). "Iconic Hispanic Angelenos in History: Cristóbal Aguilar". KCET.
11. "HARPER'S RESIGNATION DOES NOT HALT RECALL; ELECTION MUST BE HELD, SAYS CITY ATTORNEY". Los Angeles Herald. March 16, 1909.
12. "THE NEWS SUMMARY". Los Angeles Herald. February 2, 1909.
13. "HERALD WINS ITS FIGHT FOR PURE GOVERNMENT". Los Angeles Herald. March 16, 1909.
14. John R. Babcock, "When Los Angeles Was a World-Class City of Corruption," Los Angeles Herald-Examiner," May 12, 1989, page A-19
15. O'Brien, Brendan (March 8, 2017). "Los Angeles mayor wins re-election in landslide". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.